Law firms hold some of the most sensitive information in any industry. Client communications, case strategies, financial records, intellectual property, merger details, litigation positions — all of it protected by attorney-client privilege and ethical obligations that predate the internet by centuries. Yet most law firms manage their IT infrastructure with the same tools and processes as any other small business.
That gap between the sensitivity of the data and the rigor of IT operations creates real risk. Not theoretical risk — the kind that leads to malpractice claims, bar complaints, and client departures. Governed IT operations close that gap by ensuring every IT action is policy-checked, logged, and auditable.
The Unique IT Risks Law Firms Face
Law firms aren't just another professional services organization. They face a specific set of IT risks that require specific controls:
Ethical Walls and Matter-Based Access
When a firm represents clients with competing interests, ethical walls (also called information barriers or Chinese walls) must prevent information from crossing between matter teams. In IT terms, this means:
- File system permissions must enforce matter-level access controls
- Email systems must prevent certain users from communicating about certain matters
- Document management systems must restrict search results based on ethical wall assignments
- IT staff who maintain these systems must themselves be governed — an IT administrator who can access any file on the server effectively bypasses every ethical wall
This last point is critical and rarely addressed. Your IT person (or worse, your MSP's technician) typically has admin access to every system in the firm. That means they can read any email, open any document, and access any matter file. Without governed execution, there's no way to verify that privileged access isn't being misused.
E-Discovery Readiness
When a firm is involved in litigation (either on behalf of a client or as a party), the ability to locate, preserve, and produce electronic documents is critical. E-discovery readiness requires:
- Document retention policies that are actually enforced by IT systems (not just written in a policy manual)
- Legal hold capabilities — the ability to freeze deletion of documents related to a matter on short notice
- Chain of custody documentation — proving that documents haven't been altered since collection
- Search and collection tools — ability to search across all systems for responsive documents
- Audit trails — who accessed what documents and when, especially relevant for spoliation claims
Without governed IT operations, you can't reliably demonstrate chain of custody or prove that documents weren't altered. An IT system that doesn't log every action can't prove that a deletion was accidental rather than intentional.
Bar Association Requirements
State bar associations increasingly require lawyers to demonstrate competence in technology as it relates to client data protection. ABA Model Rule 1.6 (Confidentiality of Information) requires attorneys to make "reasonable efforts to prevent the inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of, or unauthorized access to, information relating to the representation of a client."
Multiple state bars have issued opinions clarifying that this duty extends to technology:
- Attorneys must understand how their technology stores and transmits client data
- Cloud services must be evaluated for data security before use
- Data breaches must be reported to affected clients
- Reasonable security measures must be implemented (encryption, access controls, monitoring)
"Reasonable" is the key word. What was reasonable five years ago (basic password protection) is no longer sufficient. Today, reasonable includes multi-factor authentication, encryption at rest and in transit, access logging, and incident response capabilities.
Client Data Custody
When clients provide documents to the firm, those documents are held in trust. When engagement ends, clients are entitled to their files. When a lawyer leaves the firm, client files must follow the client's wishes. This requires:
- Matter-based file organization (not just attorney-based)
- The ability to export a complete matter file on demand
- The ability to verify that all client materials have been returned or destroyed
- Documentation of file disposition at matter close
What "Governed IT" Means for a Law Firm
Governed IT operations means that every IT action — from granting access to updating software to restoring a backup — is subject to pre-execution policy checks and post-execution audit logging. For a law firm, this translates to:
1. Every Access Change Is Documented
When a new associate joins the firm and needs access to three matters, the governed execution process:
- Verifies the access request against ethical wall rules
- Checks the requester's authorization to grant access
- Provisions access to exactly the requested systems and folders
- Logs the complete action: who requested, who approved, what was granted, when, and on which systems
When that associate leaves two years later, the same process runs in reverse — with a complete audit trail showing that all access was revoked.
2. Every System Change Is Policy-Checked
Before any IT action executes — updating the DMS, modifying email routing, changing backup configurations — governed execution checks the action against the firm's policies. This prevents well-meaning but dangerous shortcuts, like:
- An IT person emailing a document to a lawyer's personal email to "help them work from home" — bypassing the firm's data loss prevention controls
- A lawyer sharing a cloud folder with opposing counsel that also contains work product from another matter
- An IT admin restoring a backup that overwrites newer versions of client documents
3. Complete Audit Trail for Every Action
Every IT action produces an audit record with: the user who initiated it, the time, the systems affected, the data accessed or modified, and the outcome. This serves multiple purposes:
- E-discovery: When a court asks "who accessed this document between January and March," you can answer definitively.
- Ethical wall compliance: You can prove that information barriers were maintained, not just that they were configured.
- Bar investigations: If a complaint alleges inadequate data protection, audit logs demonstrate the firm's security posture.
- Client reporting: Some clients (particularly corporate clients) require regular reports on data access and security controls.
Real-World Scenarios
Scenario 1: Partner Laptop Lost at Airport
A senior partner calls at 10 PM: their laptop was stolen from their bag at the airport gate. The laptop has access to the firm's DMS, email, and multiple active matter files.
With governed IT: The IT platform receives the report and immediately: disables the partner's Active Directory account (blocking email, DMS, and VPN access), triggers a remote wipe command on the laptop, revokes any active OAuth sessions, generates an incident report documenting the timeline and response actions, and alerts the firm's managing partner and insurance carrier.
Because the laptop had full disk encryption (enforced by device management policy), the data is protected even if the wipe doesn't reach the device. The audit trail documents that the firm responded immediately, which is critical if client notification is required.
Scenario 2: New Associate Onboarding
A new associate starts Monday and needs access to 5 active matters, the DMS, email, time tracking, and the firm's research platforms.
With governed IT: The onboarding request flows through the governed execution system. It checks each matter's ethical wall configuration before granting access. It provisions exactly the right permissions on the DMS, email, and other systems. It creates a complete record of what was provisioned, so when audit time comes, there's a clear history of why this associate has the access they have.
Scenario 3: Departing Attorney
An equity partner is leaving to join another firm and wants to take their client files. Some clients want to stay with the firm, some want to follow the partner, and some haven't decided yet.
With governed IT: The system generates a complete inventory of the departing partner's matter access. For each matter, the authorized disposition is documented: export to the departing partner, retain at the firm, or hold pending client decision. Every file transfer is logged. The partner's access is revoked on their departure date, and the audit trail proves that only authorized files were transferred.
The MSP Problem for Law Firms
Many law firms rely on managed service providers (MSPs) for IT support. This creates a specific governance problem: MSP technicians typically have full admin access to the firm's systems, which means they can access any client document, read any email, and bypass any ethical wall.
Most MSPs don't have BAAs or equivalent confidentiality agreements that account for attorney-client privilege. Even if they do, the lack of audit trails means you can't verify that privileged access is being used appropriately.
Governed IT platforms solve this by routing all IT actions through a policy engine that logs every action. Whether the action is performed by an internal IT person, an external vendor, or an AI system, the governance is the same. Learn more about managing IT without an MSP.
Getting Started with Governed IT
For law firms considering the transition to governed IT operations:
- Audit your current access controls — Who has admin access to your systems? Can you document when and why they received that access?
- Inventory your data — Where is client data stored? How many systems have it? Who can access each system?
- Evaluate your ethical wall enforcement — Are your information barriers enforced by technology, or just by policy? Can you prove they've been maintained?
- Review your MSP arrangement — What access does your IT provider have? What logging exists for their actions? Do they have appropriate confidentiality agreements?
- Talk to your malpractice carrier — Many carriers now offer premium discounts for firms with documented IT security controls. Governed IT operations can reduce your premiums.
TechManager AI is built for law firm IT operations, with governed execution, matter-based access controls, and complete audit trails that satisfy bar compliance requirements. Book a demo to see how it works for your firm.